Neuza Zapponi de
Mello:
“We need to look
more carefully
into many
aspects of
Spiritist
Centres,
especially
inter-personal
relations”
The well-known
Spiritist author
shares her views
on Spiritism
based on more
than 40 years of
dedication to
the Teachings,
an experience
that led to the
publication of
her book on
fraternal
assistance, or
counselling
|
Neuza Zapponi de
Mello (photo)
was born in a
Spiritist home
in the city of
Sorocaba, in the
Brazilian state
in São Paulo.
She has been
engaged in the
Spiritist
Movement as a
volunteer worker
since she was a
teenager. She
has lived for
many years in
Brasília, where
she is the
Director of
Fraternal
Assistance at
the local
Spiritist Federa-
|
tion. Neuza
Zapponi de Mello
has PhD and MsC
degrees in
Psychology and
Education. She
has worked in
this field for
47 years,
teaching people
of all ages,
from primary
school to
university
doctorate
levels. |
Tell us about
your work in
Spiritism and
your experience
as a writer. How
did it all
begin? What are
your goals?
My passion for
Spiritism came
from my home.
Guided by my
parents, I
discovered a
rich
transcendent
reality and
found in Jesus
of Nazareth a
dear, gentle and
true friend, who
followed my
steps with love
and offered me
support and
sound advice
through the
Gospel. I fell
in love with
this Master of
Love. I learned
that the
teachings of
Spiritism help
makes us happier
and to be able
to face with
clear conscience
and in a
productive
manner our
challenges on
this planet. I
felt compelled
to share this
reality with our
brothers and
sisters on this
journey, to
share the
knowledge of how
the spiritual
teachings can be
linked to our
daily lives,
making our
journey easier.
That is what I
have been trying
to do, with deep
existential
happiness.
What encouraged
you to publish
the book
“Atendimento
Fraterno no
Centro Espírita:
a Terapêutica do
Cristo
Consolador”
(“Fraternal
Assistance in
Spiritist
Centres: the
Therapeutics of
Christ the
Consoler”)?
This book is the
result of more
than 40 years of
study, research
and practical
work in this
field both in
Spiritist
Centres and in
my professional
life. I had
prepared
courses,
seminars etc. to
train Spiritist
workers to give
counselling, or
fraternal
assistance.
People who
attended the
courses often
requested more
written
material. And
that is how the
idea of writing
the book was
born. The idea
was approved by
the Spiritist
Federation of
the Federal
District
(Brasília),
which published
the book.
What do you
think is the
main
contribution of
the book for the
Spiritist
Movement?
Spiritual
benefactors have
reminded us
often about the
need to prepare
ourselves to
attend the
growing number
of people coming
to Spiritist
Centres in
Brazil looking
for counselling
and help to deal
with their
problems. One
key point of my
book is that all
workers in
Spiritist
Centres are, by
definition, at
the service of
the people,
incarnates and
discarnates, who
turn up looking
for help. They
need to be
prepared to look
after them with
care, love,
compassion and
fraternity. The
book has a wide
range of ideas
and proposals,
including
motivational
aspects, solid
Christian and
Spiritist
theoretical
background and
suggestions on
how to better
organise the
counselling or
fraternal
assistance
department at
Spiritist
Centres.
What method did
you use to write
the book and how
long did it
take?
The book was
written in a
direct way. It
is like a
conversation
between the
author and the
reader, in
colloquial,
simple and clear
language,
including
practical
examples. But it
contains sound
theoretical
background. The
aim is to touch
the heart of
those who read
it, encouraging
them to see
themselves as
disciples of the
Master of
Nazareth and
encouraging them
to put into
practice the
ideas of Christ.
I have written
it at different
stages of my
work in
Spiritism over
more than 30
years.
What is your
assessment of
the quality of
the counselling,
or fraternal
assistance,
offered in
Spiritist
Centres in
Brazil these
days?
The organisation
of Fraternal
Assistance is
relatively new
in Spiritist
Centres. It has
developed from
the realisation
that for most
people who look
for Spiritism
the front,
welcoming door
is in the people
who help and
assist them
first. That is a
key experience
in helping
people decide
whether they
will carry on in
Spiritism or
not. People who
look for help
and guidance
have been in
most cases been
attended by
volunteer
workers most
sensitive to the
suffering of
their fellow
brothers and
sisters. But
many of them
have reported
the need to get
better training
for such a
complex and
important job.
And that
training must go
beyond good will
and the love
they have in
their hearts.
What are the
main challenges
you are facing?
The three main
obstacles are:
a) To find
enough people
motivated to
work on
fraternal
assistance who
are also
committed to
stay in the job
long term;
b) To get
volunteer
workers to
understand the
need to get
trained properly
for the job,
adapting to the
needs of those
who seek help;
c) To raise
awareness among
the directors of
Spiritist
Centres about
the vital
importance of
organising
efficient and
well-trained
fraternal
assistance
services.
What do you
think needs to
be improved in
the offer of
good literature
to help
volunteer
workers at
Spiritist
Centres?
Books aimed at
helping and
guiding
Spiritist
workers need to
have sounder
theoretical
basis and need
to focus more on
the ethical
principles
specific to the
area where the
volunteers are
carrying out
their duties. We
need to look
more carefully
into many
aspects of
Spiritist
Centres,
especially
inter-personal
relations.
What are your
plans for the
future? Do you
intend to carry
on writing?
Life has giving
me amazing
opportunities to
gather a great
deal of
information and
to go though
many valuable
experiences from
the social,
philosophical
and educational
perspectives. I
have had the
privilege of
meeting
extraordinary
people who, with
their capacity
of overcoming
their problems
and suffering,
have
demonstrated in
practice the
vast
possibilities
and the
greatness of
human beings. To
share, either in
a written or a
spoken form,
this vault of
experiences and
the reflections
that stem from
that, is what I
plan to do for
the rest of my
journey in this
existence.